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Friday, December 28, 2007

Marketing Your Business For Profits

When you think of a marketing plan for your business you can look at it as the to-do-list for your business in the upcoming year. You will assess your company from top to bottom to ensure that all of the pieces of your business are working together as efficiently as possible. This allows a step by step guide to be created for your companys business success. You will want to allow yourself a few months to put together your marketing plan. You want to include your goals and to decide what is achievable and what ideas should be pitched out.

Your marketing plan puts everything you want for your business out on the table. It is a document that shows your dreams and aspirations for your company to others. This is a document that will pull together your business team. It will inspire them to reach for those goals that your marketing plan details. This is also an important part of your business plan as a whole. If you need to seek financial assistance through a bank loan, a solid business plan including a well thought out marketing plan can make or break the decision at hand.

Your marketing plan should cover the first year, it is to say the main focus is the coming year for your company. You can also address the medium term future, say 2 to 4 years but do not lose focus on the immediate future. Update your marketing strategy monthly and be sure to review it at least quarterly for any changes in company employees or statistics that should be changed.

Include an area in your marketing plan to include future updates of sales reports, manufacturing details and overall business performance. This allows you to keep track and remain focused on reaching your yearly goals. You will want to keep your business plan organized in a three ring binder for example. Have it easily accessible for business meetings that perhaps require marketing plan review.

Your marketing plan is the game plan for your business. It shows others that you have a plan of action and that you are a serious business entrepreneur. It is also good for you personally since it roots your business goals and makes them real. Businesses start out with an idea and a dream. Once you have those set in place it is matter of following through to reach the finish line of success.

You do not have to create a marketing plan that is eight inches thick. Your marketing plan does not have to be a specific quantity of pages to be a solid plan. As long as you take the time and thought into this golden document, you will be well on your way to reaching your goals and even exceeding your own expectations.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Know The Difference Between Mlm And Pyramids

With more people looking for work online, some offering work opportunities at home are blurring the line between pyramid or Ponzi schemes and functional multilevel marketing programs. One key difference to keep in mind is that pyramid schemes are illegal in almost every state and if you get suckered into one, you can be found guilty of violating Federal Trade Commission laws.

As the number of people looking for online work increases so do the number of pyramid offers, often thinly disguised as multilevel marketing. If you have the slightest hint that something about an offer does not feel right, walk away from it. Better yet, run from it as fast as you can and do not leave any of your cash behind. The internet is an amazing place and new web sites pop up daily.

One of the challenges of web sites is that they typically require no proof of identification and setting up an online business can be done in only a few minutes with no questions asked. A person can set up an internet site, spend a few bucks on advertising and reel in a lot of cash in a hurry with false promises and then disappear into cyberspace with nary a trace. The trick to not buying into one of these schemes is knowing what they look like.

Some may even come right out and claim they are not an illegal pyramid scheme while others will not mention it at all. There are three key elements to look for in making the decision of whether a plan is legal or not. First, if there is no mention of what product or service is being sold in the first one, maybe two pages of their online sales pitch, it probably is not worth pursuing. Contact information for the company should be blatantly visible on the front page or at least on a contact page. If there is no name, address or phone number available, the company is hiding behind an email address and everyone knows how reliable email contacts are at solving customer problems.

The third thing to look for is the focus of the sales pitch. If it talks about how much money that can be made by recruiting other dealers, promising to pay you an unrealistic amount for bringing others into the fold, then it is probably more of a pyramid scheme than a legitimate business opportunity. If you have to buy the companys product in order to remain a qualified distributor, you may soon find that the only sales the company realizes is to their distributors, which is also against FTC rules.

An honest business opportunity will tell you upfront what you will be selling and while you may invite distributors to join in your business success, it should not be mandatory to sign up even one additional person in order to receive sales commissions from your own sales efforts.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Is MultiLevel Marketing Right For You

The mere mention of multilevel marketing instantly turns some people deaf to any further discussion as they are reminded of the infamous Ponzi or pyramid schemes of the mid-20th century. With the age of computers and low employment options, multilevel marketing programs often target those looking for work from home opportunities.

Essentially, at its core, multilevel marketing is similar to franchise opportunities in which franchised dealers pay an initial and monthly franchise fee for the right to sell the companys products. Their fees cover initial training as well as sales materials but any products they purchase is paid for by the new business owner. With multilevel marketing, these business owners are encourage to recruit additional business owners and will receive a percentage of their sales as well as their own sales commission.

Companies that emphasize more on recruitment than on product sales are often found to be contrary to guidelines established by the Federal trade Commission and usually end up losing their sales representatives once the market becomes saturated and sales are no longer available to all of the sales representatives. People should be wary of companies that pay part of the fee to join the company to the one that recruited them as legal multilevel marketing plans do not pay for recruitment.

In many cases the number of people in a recruiters downline is limited, based on the division of the sales commission. Although it is not unusual to see downlines of seven or more people in one person’s recruitment map. Other companies may have a two-line downline that requires sales representatives to have two equal length downlines before commissions are paid on any sales, even their own. This practice is also frowned upon by the FTC but the rules have not yet been established to make this practice illegal.

Many companies also require the sales people to have a certain amount of inventory of the companys products on hand to sell and may even require the distributor to buy a set monthly amount of inventory to continue to qualify for sales commissions. The FTC has established a 70 percent rule that states the distributor can not be required to purchase more inventory until at least 70 percent of their inventory has sold. While many in government believe that products used or kept for personal use by the distributor should not be counted as part of the 70 percent of inventory sold, many others, including some distributors, claims it should not matter who buys the inventory.

As the downlines grow, the sales commissions become smaller going back up the line but those in the top of the rankings are usually receiving small commissions based on the sales of everyone working under them for many generations through multiple downlines. It has often been the opinion that the only ones who make any real money in multilevel marketing are the ones closest to the companys beginnings.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

How To Build Your Own Business

Every day, millions of Americans think about the American Dream and roll their eyes in disdain. Where is this American dream and why i do not have a piece of that glorious pie? You may have an Ivy League education or you may be a high school dropout. Either way, the path to true, independent success, is dependant upon the same things. Creativity, ingenuity, hard work and perseverance. If you possess a large quantity of the above traits, there is a good chance you will make your business a success.

And that is, fail the chance to become CEO of a huge corporation or a celebrity of some kind, the only real path to enormous financial success in this country. Otherwise, you are always simply making money for someone else. Someone else, who had the drive and creativity that you either do not have or are too afraid to use, will. If you are not afraid to use it and you are ready to start building your business, here is what you have to do.

First things first. To build a business of any kind, you will first need capital. Now, you may be lucky enough to be independently wealthy to begin with but if you are like most Americans, this is the part where you are going to need a loan. It is the getting of this loan that your business degree may most come in handy. Lenders like to see such degrees before parting with their money but it is not the only important factor.

Obviously, presentation is half if not more of the battle. You have to convince the bank that they are taking a reasonable chance with you. You have to make the banker see what you see, the potential for profit in your business model. If you feel nervous about this prospect, just repeat to yourself one thing. Bill Gates was once in the same position, feeling the same nervousness. And he was turned down for several loans before finally getting one. Thats where perseverance comes in. You must have it or you will not succeed.

If you are moving into a sector of business where you have already made contacts, now is the time to get in touch with those people and let them know you are going into business for yourself. Tell them what will set your business apart from others of your kind. Extend them a discount of some sort. Encourage them to tell their contacts in the business world about your new endeavor. One thing that all successful businessmen have in common is their remarkable ability for self promotion.

You will need that trait if you expect to succeed in the business world. If you are the wallflower type, you may want to think about a different line of work. What you must do next and continue to do throughout the life of your business, is research. You must become an expert in the field. Whatever that field might happen to be. Whether you are selling, office supplies, gasoline, tires or widgets, you have to learn everything there is to know about your business.

That means researching the history, keeping up with the latest trends and following up on that with your own innovations and ideas. Studying the past can help you avoid mistakes that others have already made and studying the future will give you the edge you need to think ahead of the curve. No new business finds success by doing the same old thing. You need to come to the marketplace with something new, even if its only a minor change.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

How To Run Your Business

You may have heard the story about the bumble bee and the fact that from an aerodynamic point of view, it should not be able to fly. However, no one ever bothered to explain this to the bumble bee and it continues to fly happily along unaware that he is performing in ways that should not be possible.

The same can be said for many businessmen in that their education is lacking or their business acumen is not developed well enough to successfully operate a business. They one thing they have in common with the bumble bee is that they were never told they could not do it. They had the right attitude to create something out of nothing and never heard the naysayers telling them they would fail. They continued forward with their dream, choosing instead to focus on their strengths instead of their weaknesses and using them to their advantage.

If you have known someone who seemed to be happy and upbeat all the time its because they choose to be happy all the time. Its not that they have any less problems than anyone else, its just that they will not allow their problems to affect their moods. This is the same attitude that successful people have in their business. They choose to be successful. They still have their share of issues at their place of work but instead of focusing on the negatives they look for the positives and use them to obtain a position of power.

When they make a mistake, instead of choosing to brood about how things went wrong, they choose to view the mistake as a means of learning how to do things differently to realize a better result. There is an old belief in the business world that if you think you are going to fail, you will. The opposite is also true in that if you believe you can be a success in your business, you will be a success. Even if you are in the wrong business, your positive attitude will allow you figure out why you are in the wrong business and help you find the one that is right for you.

In addition to having a positive attitude, success is something you can choose to be good at as well. By choosing to remain positive your attitude will be positive and whatever you choose to do you can do successfully.

Additionally, customers do not want to do business with a person who is sour about everything they do. They would prefer a person who tries to help them solve their problems. Employees are the same and would rather deal with an owner who is positive and understands that mistakes happen. A boss that is willing to help them correct mistakes instead of firing them the first time they do something wrong.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Running A Family Business

Working with your spouse can be a great way to enjoy work. You know each other better than anyone else that can make working with him or her easier than working with a stranger. You know their work ethic and habits, this leaves no surprises to get in the way of working together. You are also better able to solve any work conflict that could arise.

When working with your husband or wife you are able to be yourself. No putting on a show to impress the boss. You are also able to bring out creativity in each other. When spouses work together there is freedom. You can throw out business ideas and come up with amazing results. Often when working with others there is a lot of competition among employees. When you work with your loved one there is only the goal to succeed and you are working together as a team. Working together can also bring you closer as a couple. Its satisfying to create something together to care for your family.

It eliminates the argument of who is the better provider. You learn even more about each other and become appreciative of your partner for their work abilities. You may be quite impressed to see what they do bring to the table. You can laugh together. Work can be serious when it needs to be but you can make it fun as well. There is no better way to enjoy working with your spouse than cutting up and creating a smile. This will help you both to be more relaxed and to let go of some business related stress

You and your spouse can also create needed time for your family. By working with your spouse you eliminate the need to work opposite schedules. An example of this is the wife works first shift or a seven a.m. to three p.m. The husband works second shift or three p.m. to eleven. This allows them to have one parent with their school aged children. So many parents are faced with this and by working together this is eliminated.

There are so many factors that make work an unpleasant and stressful environment. When you choose to work with your spouse through your own business, many unneeded stress causers are eliminated, allowing you to enjoy working. You bring yourselves closer together, resolve family related conflicts and bring laughter and joy to your work place. You can not ask for a better business partner than paring up with your spouse. So if you had any doubts about working with your spouse, weigh the positive against the negative reasons. You are sure to outnumber those negative ideas. So make that decision to work with your loved one and create a fun, free willed work environment.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Employing The Services Of A Business Lawyer

Some people who start their own business think they can save money by not having a business lawyer on hand. This is not a good practice to keep because if anything goes wrong and you are forced into a situation that requires expertise in the law you will be rushed into making a decision on a lawyer that could cost you more money.

What a business lawyer job is, is to know all the legalities in owning and operating a business. This means they will know all the particular laws for your state and can assist you in making the right decisions for your business.

How early should you get a lawyer? You should find a lawyer that you are comfortable talking with as early into your business venture as you can. Having a lawyer that you know and can trust will give you confidence should anything arise that you would need a lawyer for.

A business minded lawyer is going to keep in mind the size of your business, how to be most cost effective to you and the complexity of timing issues. A good business minded lawyer will be able to help you negotiate deal points, recommend different structure that will better serve you and help you set up a better plan for your business.

Your lawyer should be available to you at any time. If at any time you do not feel your lawyer is working for you, you should find a new lawyer. If your lawyer or your lawyers staff does not return your calls they are not doing their job. Your lawyer should provide you with a copy of all documents prepared by him.

It could be a red flag if your lawyer is not completely forthright with all documents he or she has prepared for you. Your lawyer should always be prompt with their actions and should do what they say they are going to do. You should also receive a rough timeline of when your lawyer will do certain things.

There are a few questions you should ask your lawyer before retaining him or her, a few of the main ones are:1. How long have you been practicing law?2. Have you represented companies like mine?3. How do you charge legal fees, and exactly what expenses am I charged for?4. What experience do you have with tax matters?5. What advice do you give to lessen the chance of litigation?

Having a business lawyer on hand can save you time, money and offer a better outcome in the chance you have litigation issues. Having a business lawyer on hand to assist you will give you an upper hand as well as confidance.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Understanding Business Mergers

A merger is one of the methods of business combinations between two companies where only one of them becomes the surviving entity. The assets and liabilities of one company become part of the assets and liabilities of the surviving company. Usually, the bigger company survives, acquiring the smaller one as part of its assets. No new entity is created.

Mergers may be:

Horizontal or the merger of companies with the same or related product linesVertical or the merger of a vendor or a customer. Friendly or hostile. Acquiring another company is one way to add to shareholder value and also for the following reasons:

Economies of scale:

This is a commonly used set of words in business. With the operations of the two companies merged, the cost of operations is lowered since the duplication processes are turned into one. The combined operations that would help reduce costs are as follows:

Purchasing. This would also enable the surviving company a better bargaining power with the increase in volume.Financial. Can negotiate for better interest rates. Organizational. There shall be only one general manager and some employees maybe terminated for redundancy

Increased Sales Volume or Increased Market Share. Almost, if not all mergers are between major competitors or companies with the same or related products. Naturally, there will also be a combination of product or services output resulting to increase in sales volume. The combination also includes the bigger market share.

Synergy. The surviving company can have better, efficient use of the combined resources.Taxes. In a merger, it is also common that the merged company is a financially losing company, entitled to some tax write off. The surviving company can use this to its advantage. Increase in R&D budget.

Post Merger Scenario. In a merger, the most affected are the employees. Some problems can not be avoided because people are also merged. Some of the concerns that should be anticipated are:

Job security, especially on the part of the acquired of merged company. In fact, the managers in the acquired companies may lost their jobs due to redundancy. Concerns that may not have been anticipated by the surviving company. Employees of the acquired company need training to know the processes in the surviving company. Different cultures in the two companies. This also means a difficult mind set which would make it difficult to blend in the new workplace

Merger is one way to expand the company. For example, a bank may suddenly have an additional 200 branches through mergers with another bank. As in any new venture, mergers need an honest, thorough discussion between the two merging parties during the negotiating phase.

Monday, November 19, 2007

How To Apply For A Business Loan

Many small businesses will visit banks hoping to receive a loan to get their business off the ground and of those only a few will walk out with a check. Most financial institutions are over cautious when it comes to lending money to new businesses due to the historically high failure rate of new businesses.

Its no real secret that in order to get a business loan from most banks, you have to be able to show that you really do not need their loan. While bank may be interested in financing businesses, their main concern is the ability to repay the money and insuring the business owner has sufficient collateral and liquid assets to help meet expenses during downturns in the business.

While they may be reluctant to hand money out for a new business there are some thing a business can do to promote a favorable decision and walking into the loan officers office on your knees with your hands folded in a pleading position is not one of them. You must walk into the office with air of confidence, not to be confused with arrogance and dress professionally looking like a potential business owner and a person of integrity who is capable of accepting responsibility for their actions.

Check your credit report before applying for a loan and work to clear out any negative items it may contain. This can take some time so starting on it early can have it cleaned up to more accurately represent your credit worthiness at the time the application is submitted. There are different types of business loans available, some for equipment and some for operating capital and they all have different criteria, which must be met. Make sure you are applying for the right type of business loan. You may qualify to borrow money for new equipment or upgrades but not qualify for an operations expense loan.

Regardless of the type of loan you apply for, be prepared to offer specific reasons why the money is needed. It will not be enough to state the money will be used for business expenses. You will have to break it down into specific amounts for specific purposes. Many bank will not ask for the use of each and every penny of the loan but generalizations about the use of the cash will not be looked upon favorably.

Even with these three issues being addressed there are other factors that will play into the banks decision such as the type of business you are starting and your experience in running that type of business. For example, if you managed a video store for several years and want to open a restaurant, the business aspect of running the store will be a plus but having little or no experience in food service willl be a negative on your application.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

The Risk Of Business Partnership

When you begin your own business you take a lot of risks that are naturally involved. One of the many risks you may face is issues or concerns with going into business with outside investors. You may have to take a bank loan or perhaps there is someone you know who has faith in your business and decides to loan you start up money. No matter who exactly is providing the funds, using outside investors can create some nasty situations. Here are three examples of this and keep them in mind to help protect your business.

You may face added pressure to your life, pressure on top of pressure. When you choose to use outside financial backers you run the risk of those persons putting extra and unneeded pressure in your business life. Running your business can be stressful enough. There is so much to keep track of and a lot of juggling with your time. Your backers may do a lot of checking up on you with phone calls or emails.

Wondering exactly what is happening with the business and how profitable it has become. You really want to feel comfortable with the person you get financial assistance from. Someone who is patient and understanding as your business grows. Partner with someone who is emotionally supportive as well as supportive with money.

Money can bring out the worst in people. People can be full of greed, selfishness and become persistently pushy. You may hear a lot of talk about being paid back soon. They may begin to say that they should be earning part of your profit since they loaned money to start your business. Backers can become overly pushy with questions on how the business is flourishing. This can all lead to some rather emotional outbreaks at times. Its best to set guidelines with your loan officer or silent backer pre-loan to prevent these issues from ever occurring.

Unfortunately some discussions of money lead to court appearances and lawsuits. When people become heated over money they can be quick with their tongue and create a falling out of business partnerships. It can often be prevented but if this should arise be smart. Do not let emotions take control. Try to keep a cool head and concentrate on being fair about the situation and to get it resolved quickly.

Business involves money and money can create problems. Your safest way to prevent any issues with your outside investor is to create out strict guidelines to keep all of the above out of your life. If you make sure that both parties agree on these guidelines, you are sure to have a much more successful business outcome.

Monday, November 12, 2007

How To Write A Resume

How many times have passed up what appeared to be a good job opportunity because the company was requesting resume? Many times filling out an application is not going to be enough and putting your work history on paper is not difficult. Only two simple rules will make your resume worth looking. Be complete and be short.

If your first attempt at writing a resume ends up with more than two pages, you will need to go back and condense it. Very few personnel representatives are going to spend all day reading through a resume. They do not want every little detail of your job duties. They can get that during an interview. They are looking for the highlights and how your performance of the job benefited your former employer.

While most resumes will include all jobs held by a person, any large gaps between jobs will need to be explained. Since most resumes do not contain the exact dates of employment, usually using the month and year is sufficient, any gap longer than a month can be answered during the interview. For example, if you spent time in prison do not list that time as working for the state or federal government. A background check is going to reveal the truth.

Begin your resume with the pertinent information such as name, address and phone number. Include an alternate number in case you may not be available at home all the time. Do not put in your birthday, social security number or other personal information such as marital status and any children or other family members. Its nobodys business during the resume reading stage. While some may say that being married is a sign of stability, it is also illegal to consider marital status as a consideration for hiring.

When listing your work history, always begin with the most recent and go backwards. A basic rule of thumb is to include any position which lasted longer than a month, however in some instances of a person having a dozen jobs in a year, there may be some exceptions. Regardless of the length of time on the job, list every occupation that might relate to the position for which you are applying.

Within the section containing education information be completely honest. If your only visit to a college was for sports games or concerts do not claim you attended that school. If you have a degree, by all means list it but be careful of taking credit for any education that can not be accurately documented. Many high profile positions have been vacated by persons who were not honest about their educational backgrounds. If the successful job candidate must have a certain level of education that you lack, there is probably no reason to submit your resume.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Networking For Your business success

Networking is all about being in contact with those important to your business. Networking is necessary to be able to clearly communicate with those that allow your business to work properly. It truly is key to a successful business. There are several tools to help you have a solid business network. There are really two specific areas to focus on when setting up your business network.

Technology is the most helpful part of your business network. Being able to communicate with business partners quickly and efficiently is a must in business. Computer networking is the most popular way to do it all. Email your product provider a shipment order. Fax a receipt to a customer. Set up a business conference online. This is used widely throughout many types of businesses. Also the use of phones has become much more valuable to businesses than ever before.

For contractors and delivery services the use of cellular phones offering walkie-talkie and tracking services has become heavily used. Cellular phones are now mobile offices. You are able to stay in verbal contact with other businesses as well as use Internet services from your phone to look up information or to send quick confirmations to those you are in business with. Technology allows us to be in any part of the world in any location and still be in touch with our business contacts. Making business networking easier than ever before.

Technology has come far for the business network needs but communication skills are a must. If you do not have excellent skills when it comes to personal relations with clients you are destined to struggle and possibly lead your business to failure. You have to have the ability to build strong relationships with those you work with. Have an understanding of people and business. Combine these to create a solid business network foundation.

If you cannot speak to your clients with confidence but at the same time come of as understanding you are doomed to build that connection. You have to balance power and sensitivity. Communication is one of the most important tools in life period. If man can not communicate with one another then no information is ever transferred from one person to another. What good does is if we have something to say but once said no one understands it?

Networking is key because connection and communication is key. They are all joined together to create business success. So no matter the tools used from technology, be it email or the use of a phone you have to be able to converse with those involved in your specific business. Just be sure to speak to those around you with a smile in your voice. You will be sure to make a great connection and create networking success.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

What A Career Coach Actually Does

A career coach performs many duties that include helping new business owners write a business plan, offer advice on issues that may come up while creating the business, putting new business owners in contact with other business owners and being there whenever business owners need to talk about the direction of their business. While a career coach is not needed to start a successful business, many people turn to them for guidance and support, especially if they are new to the world of business.

Most career coaches are business owners themselves, so they understand the pressures of succeeding. Some have worked in other industries and can offer years of expertise in certain fields. Most career coaches specialize in one or two fields. While they may run a full time coaching business helping different clients each day, some prefer to work with one person and may only work in the coaching business part time. Even though the skills needed to help others varies from industry to industry, career coaches are able to give general advice and listen to those who may not have anywhere else to turn.

When looking for a career coach, you should try to find one with experience in your field. Unless you have general career questions, only a coach who has worked in your field will understand your specific needs. Some coaches are available any time, while others are only available during scheduled visits, so try to determine your needs and find a coach that can facilitate them. Most people are referred to career coaches by others who have worked with them.

Once you have found a coach, it is important to outline your needs early on so you can make the most of your time. After working with the coach for a few sessions, you will begin to feel more comfortable and you can move on to other issues. Make sure your coach has the time to meet your needs so you can build your business. If you do not want to own a business but need help advancing in your career, coaches can help by becoming a sounding board offering advice and counsel when you need it.

If your job is stressful, a coach can offer ways to reduce stress and find what work life balance that you need. This is oftentimes the most difficult challenge that people face when they are looking to advance in their career. But career coaches can teach time management and organizational skills that you can use in order to make your life less stressful. They can also suggest reading materials, courses and other information sources for you to turn to when you need them. For many, a career coach can help people find their way in the corporate world or help them establish their own businesses easily.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

What Not To Do As A Salesman

Selling requires the combination of skills in persuasion and product knowledge. But there are some salesmen that lack both. In fact, there are common selling mistakes that salesmen usually make so that sometimes a transaction which should have led to sales does not occur at all. However, some of these selling mistakes are quite understandable because salesmen are sometimes desperate for sales since their compensation is not based on salary but rather from the amount of sales they had been able to generate.

In this business, you will be ale to observe quite a high number of job turnovers because salesmen were not able to meet their quotas and become frustrated or they simply got tired of convincing people who do not even want to give them the time of day. But you can avoid all these if you have a positive attitude that aims to please people and have the right techniques that will make them listen. It is also important to understand the likes and dislikes of people so you can avoid making them uncomfortable. In line with this, here are some of the top mistakes you should always avoid as a salesman.

1. Showing little confidence – there is no better way to discourage your potentials than by exhibiting a lack of self confidence. If you have little trust on the product or service you are offering then they will likewise become discouraged from buying that product. But if you present your products with the confidence and trust of someone who has already tried it then you can expect your potential customers to become interested in the opportunity as well. 2. Do not stretch the truth. If the product you are selling has its limitations then it is your responsibility to make your potential customers aware of these limitations. It would not be right for you to lie and tell people that the product is capable of more functions than it actually is. People do not want to be lied to and being truthful can have a positive impact on your reputation.

3. Never say you do not know. There are some salesmen who have the misconception that they have to answer each and every single question that is thrown to them by the customers even if they do not know the answer. You should avoid this mistake because it is better to say you do not know than to invent something up.

4. Not being presentable. Being a salesman means that you have to talk to a lot of people that can potentially become your customers. Because of this, it is important to present a good image of yourself and the company you work for. In addition, people are naturally attracted to presentable people so making an effort to look professional can yield good results. There are many other things you should avoid but the basic rule is to have honestly when selling because people respect honest persons.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

How Not To Be A Workaholic

Regardless of whether you work from home or not, working long hours is not productive or emotionally fulfilling after awhile. Even though you may be extremely busy, working ten or twelve hours may not help you catch up since there will always be more work for you to accomplish. Learning how not to be a workaholic takes time and discipline but with a little practice, you will be able to find a balance between your work and your life.

If people are always commenting on the amount of time you spend working, then you may be a workaholic. If you find yourself constantly thinking about work, then you may need to change the way you approach your work so you can relax and reduce the stress in your life. Being able to strike a balance between work and life is not always easy. Depending on what you do for a living and the demands placed on you by others, you may have to make dramatic changes in order to be happier and more productive in a shorter amount of time.

The first step to reducing the amount of time spend working is to limit yourself to an eight hour day. If you work at home, this means creating a work schedule and sticking to it so you can get your work done within a certain amount of time. If you work for someone else, you may need to restructure your time so you can get everything done without having to stay longer than eight hours. If you have a demanding job, consider switching jobs or stop volunteering to complete tasks that are not yours. This should reduce the amount of time spent at the office.

The second step is to not take work home with you. If you work at home, shutting off your computer, closing your office door or leaving your home to take a walk or complete chores will help you unwind after a long day. Taking work home is an indication that you could not complete it during regular business hours. While some exceptions can be made as a rule, you should leave all work at the office and forget about it until the next day.

The third step is to relax when not working by visiting friends, taking up a hobby, or taking a nap. There are plenty of activities you can engage yourself in when not at work. Instead of focusing on what you have to get done, you should focus on the present and enjoy the moment. Being a workaholic is not healthy emotionally, physically and intellectually. You will be more productive when you give yourself a chance to relax each evening and on the weekends.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Starting A Busines Partnership

You and your best friend are looking into starting a business together. You have done all your research on the type of business you want to start. You have talked to some financial backers and are ready to go. Or are you? There are at least three things you should know before starting a business with a friend.

Get it all in writing: You may have been friends since kindergarten but money does strange things to people. Its in the best interest to you both to sit down and get all of your business details in writing. Who is the owner and who is the co owner. How much profit from the business does each person receive? Make sure that all of these business related details are fully documented, dated and signed by each person. This is just one of the precautions you should take prior to the beginning of your business partnership.

Prepare for the worst: If in the event you and your friend have a fall out, be prepared. When partnering with anyone in business affairs you risk having to battle it out over company events and money. People can become very power hungry, selfish and greedy. Money after all is the source of all evil. If this is to happen its best that you have all of your business details documented as stated above. Also make sure you have mentally prepared yourself for such an event. It can be a heart wrenching and stressful occurrence. It is healthier for you to have at least considered that this is a possibility.

Protect yourself: Be wise in what you do with the business. Take care of your finances. Save money when possible and keep detailed track of both incoming and outgoing cash flow. If there was a falling out of sorts between you and your business partner you want to make sure you are financially secure. You protect yourself this way as well as keeping good bookkeeping records. Once again people do become a type of Jekyl and Hyde with money. Its not selfish to be sure that you are safe. Business affairs can become scandalous and overwhelming. You just want to make sure when its all over you come out on top.

Keep these three things in mind, documentation, preparation and protection. This information is not to make you feel paranoid. Its not meant to make you suspicious of your friend either. These are just pieces of information that are important in keeping you safe. Its a simple fact in the world of money. Business is serious and should be taken so. Think before you leap and you and your friend will both start on a safe path to a beautiful business relationship.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Finding Health Insurance For Your Business

Finding health coverage can be a difficult challenge. When employed by a business you just go with whatever insurance is offered if you can afford it at the time. When you go into business for yourself it opens up the world of insurance. You have to be the one to search through the different coverages available and see if any of the offered insurances is right for you. How do you decide what you need or want? Here is some information on health coverage that may make you more knowledgeable and better capable of choosing your insurance provider.

Health care coverage is separated into two forms of private health care coverage in the United States. First offered is health insurance policies. Second are managed care plans, which predominate over health insurance policies. The federal and state government heavily regulates each. Many can view health insurance Policies as a negative choice since they will often only cover what is medically necessary. Illness, injury and other medical conditions are considered to be medically necessary.

If you are to be hospitalized for evaluation or observation this is not covered. There are also a lot of clauses and limitations. Examples of this would be pre existing condition provisions. Federal law states that a pre existing condition is only valid if it relates to a condition that was formerly recommended by insured care within the last six months before enrollment. Issues like this can really make it difficult for people to choose health Insurance policies.

Managed care programs include HMO's, PPO’s and POS’s. HMO stands for Health maintenance organization. An HMO often owns and operates its own hospitals and medical facilities. They hire their own doctors, nurses and medical staff. Independent practices are models of HMO that contract out independent physicians in private practices. A PPO is a preferred provider organization and a hybrid of the HMO and PPO is POS that stands for Point of service plans. Managed care plans often have a fixed monthly fee.

The purpose of this organization to transfer the financial risk of health care from the patient to the care organization. If the cost of illness care is over the portion paid by the patient the care organization covers the fee. The PPO usually offers two or more tiers of coverage with varying benefit levels and co pay options. Some issues arise, such as females being forced to seek out a general practice physician for gynecological care. Some care plans are willing to work with female patients if their family doctor can refer them.

No matter the health insurance option you choose you will face ups and downs with both forms. Your best bet is to do thorough research to find which provider best suits your personal needs so that you will be better satisfied with your health coverage.

Friday, October 19, 2007

The Option Of Dropshipping: Is It Worth It?

One way to earn money online is through dropshipping. Similar to affiliate marketing, you will be selling books that are distributed by another company by creating a website, marketing the books and taking orders. While this may seem like an easy way to earn an income, you should look at this method carefully because you may be able to earn even more money by not having to rely on distributors.

When you create your website and start selling books, customers will not know that they are being shipped by the distributor. For a monthly fee, you will be given access to books that are available. Advertise these books anyway you want through websites, banner ads, blogs, articles and through other websites. When customers place an order, you will be responsible for collecting the money and processing the order. The order is sent to the book company who then ships the book to the customer. You will not have to worry about shipping the books, returns or making sure the book arrives on time.

The monthly fee you will have to pay for access to the books varies from distributor to distributer. Many distributors have thousands of titles for you to choose from based on which groups you want to market to. This saves you a lot of time in developing a product and shipping it to people. All the profits are yours and you can expand your list of books at any time. Many people have earned a steady income through dropshipping.

But dropshipping has its drawbacks as well. You may not be able to sell bestselling books, or new books until a certain amount of time has passed. The monthly fee can be very high, so if you are not selling enough books to cover this expense, you will lose money. If the distributor goes out of business, you will have to find a new distributor or a new product. Book sales vary from year to year depending on the needs of customers, so you will have to choose very carefully which books to sell.

Before you decide to enter into the dropshipping business, you should research distributors to see which ones are legitimate as there are some that will take your money and then disappear. Make sure the distributor will send books via regular post and via the internet as ebooks have become more popular over the years.

When you find a distributor that is legitimate, you should review their book list to see if there are books that will sell online. Out of print books, genre books, how to books and inspirational books usually sell online faster than novels, poetry and other types of fiction. Choose your books carefully and market them to the right groups on the Internet.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Starting An E-Commerce Business Without A Loan

The dot.com boom of the 1980s permitted legions of people to cash in on the mushrooming availability and popularity of the Internet but when the bubble burst, there were those who did not cash in but instead ended up owing the bank a small fortune. Those who profited were also those who were able to find a way of starting an ecommerce business without a bank loan. Granted, some might have dipped into their credit cards or homes equity, which is only marginally better but by and large they only invested that which they knew they could afford to lose.

At this point in time potential web entrepreneurs are a lot more hesitant to march to the bank and ask for a loan to fund their ecommerce business. They have learned from the mistakes of others and perhaps they are already so strapped in their personal finances that they know adding another monthly payment will send them over the abyss. Those who are able to not take out the loans in order to invest them in a shiny new ecommerce opportunity will also be those who will live to try another day. The others who may or may not succeed will require years, some even decades to financially recover from a failure.

It is important to understand that you do not need to start an ecommerce business with a bank loan. Instead, there are alternative ways of funding your entrepreneurship and those methods might in the long run be safer. For example, you will need a great computer and the latest software to make your presence known on the Net. While it is tempting to buy the latest and greatest machine, find out if you can simply upgrade that which you already have.

Usually you will be able to do so for a fraction of the price that a new system costs. If a new computer system is indicated, wait until special sales events come up and take advantage of them. Refurbished units and used machines which are for sale on many of the major auction sites are also a good idea. Similarly, do not worry about having an office to start out. You spare bedroom will work just fine until the money begins to roll in. It is important that you do not spend money on items which will do little to further your business.

Thus, if you are making and selling e-books, an office is unnecessary. Advertising, packaging and other incidentals can all be tackled at a shoe string budget until your business grows to such an extent that you can get a bit fancier. While it is tempting to ask for money from the bank, remember that you will need to repay this money no matter what. Starting an ecommerce business without a bank loan makes more sense in the long run, since you will be able to finance the next phase of your business with the monies you earn from the current phase.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Booking A Motivational Speaker For Your Company

A motivational speaker can help your business in many ways. In addition to energizing employees, a motivational speaker can help employees find better ways to be productive, take more pride in their work and learn how to work with others. While there are many motivational speakers out there, finding the right one for your company may take some research.

Research speakers online or create a list of references from clients, employees or vendors. You may have heard a speaker at an event or you may have friends in the field that will be able to recommend someone. Once you have a list of possibilities, you should contact them via email or phone to outline what your needs are. Motivational speakers each have their own style. You may be able to view video on their web site or they may be able to send you a sample of their work.

Since speakers mostly specialize in one or two topics, choosing a speaker that is knowledgeable about what you need them to speak on is important. If the speaker is not confident about the material, how can they motivate others? Your employees will be able to spot someone who is not prepared and will resent their time being wasted. If the speakers you have contacted do not specialize in your topic, they may be able to recommend another speaker who does.

After interviewing a speaker that you think is a match, find out even more by reading reviews of recent events they have spoken at, books they may have published or articles that may have been written about them. These items will give you additional insight into what to expect from the speaker.

Many motivational speakers travel often in order to maintain their business. You may need to book your speaker months in advance. Keep this in mind when sending out invitations to hear the speaker. Do not invite employees until you have scheduled the speaker and you know more about what they will be speaking about. Plan at least three months in advance. Once you have a commitment, then you can send out invitations and keep employees informed.

If, for some reason, the speaker needs to cancel, you should have a backup speaker in mind. While it could be difficult to find another speaker on short notice, try anyway. If you can not find a replacement, you can reschedule by sending all employees a notice. Most motivational speakers will not cancel unless it is an emergency, so you should not have any problems. After the motivational speaker has made their appearance, send an email thanking them for their time. Not only is this a nice gesture, it will also help when having to schedule them again in the future.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Hiring A Content Manager

One of the primary concerns of a search engine is the quality content on a website. It looks for information that is applicable to the site and in text form, contains quality information and not simply a repetition of certain keywords. Websites found without quality information are usually not listed and often is removed from the search engines indexing.

While quality content is highly regarded, in the internet age it gets old very quickly. Updated information is seen by search engines as a quality site and carries more weight in algorithms than a similar site with outdated content. As a result, it is important for websites to offer quality, fresh content on a regular basis. While there is no magic formula dictating how often website information should be updated, most agree that monthly updates offer a slight advantage.

For companies with a full fledged internet marketing plan, a content manager can be a plus for their continued growth. They can either write the content themselves or contract with a web content provider to supply the textual information they require. Many who contract specify the keywords and length of the article and those who believe that keyword density, the number of time a keyword appears in the article, is important will also specify the density.

On average, a content manager will seek quality, informative article of between 250 and 500 words with a keyword density of between one and three percent. Again, there is no hard rules concerning word count or keyword density but these number appear to be the most sought after by content managers.

Many times content managers will be responsible for blog content and are required to enter information into a blog, separate from the companys website with a signature link back to the companys site to draw more traffic as well as supply an outside link to the site, improving their stature with the search engines. Depending on the nature and size of the website, a content manager may also hire people to make blog entries on several sites proving more information as well as more links back to the main site.

Having one person responsible for the internet content leads to better consistency in the type of articles published on the site. It also helps maintain a uniform message in the content. As more people are learning that links in graphics hold little weight with search engines, they are turning more toward keyword articles and have a need for constant updates to keep their sites fresh and attractive to the search engines. A company that hosts numerous websites can find a content manager a necessary addition to their staff as they juggle the different types of articles needed for the different types of sites.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Hiring A Marketing Expert

Whether you are just starting out in business or have owned your company for more than 10 years, the odds are good that at some point in your entrepreneurship you will consider hiring a marketing expert. In the past, this step was the norm as soon as the money became available and many a new business owner would beg, borrow or steal to find enough money to hire that marketing firm with the glossiest brochures that promised to make the new business owners company a rising star in a firmament filled with shooting stars. Yet did you know that hiring a marketing expect does not always pay off?

For example, if your business is not at a point where you will be able to pay for the marketing expert out of your net income, you might find yourself going too deep into the red with the marketing strategies and campaigns that are being suggested and to save your bottom line at least somewhat, you may end up cutting corners and only partially implementing an intricate marketing idea that would have worked had you but followed it to the letter. In this case, you wasted your money and a grand opportunity.

Hiring a marketing expert also does not pay off if you do not hire the right individual or firm to handle your advertising. For example, if you are a pet shop owner and are considering a television commercial, you want it to have a professional look and feel. Yet have you ever looked up from perusing the paper with the television on in the background when the volume of the commercials suddenly changed and the tone became really muted?

The odds are good that you ran across a commercial that was done on a very low budget and that is lacking the professional touch of an expert. Marketing experts usually hire actors to portray customers or clerks and they may even recreate a portion of your store in a studio rather than shooting the commercial in your actual location. If your marketing expert encourages you to have your wife, sister, daughter or Cousin should play a role in the commercial, the odds are that it will be a low budget production and you will want to stay away from this alleged expert.

Last but not least, hiring a marketing expert does not always pay off if you and the expert do not see eye to eye. If you envision a low key campaign and the expert wants to paper the town with flyers and ads, you know that you will not be able to work together. Find someone who is more to your liking and who will advise you in a manner that you can afford and that you can feel comfortable with.

Monday, October 08, 2007

Building Customer Loyalty In E-Commerce

One of the distractions to customer loyalty is the availability of alternative places to buy the same products or services at the same or even slightly higher prices. With an internet business, thousands of other similar companies offer the same items at about the same price and without the loyalty of your customers there is no way to survive.

Web surfers may simply type in a keyword for a product or service in a search engine and when the different sites appear, clicking on a few sites will usually give them an idea of the price range of products. They can then choose what they see as the lowest cost for the same merchandise and make a purchase with little regard to the company from which they are buying. It will typically take a bad experience during some part of the transaction for them to become discouraged, making it important that every e commerce business has their best foot forward on each transaction to build customer loyalty to their site.

There are so many others to choose from, customers have the luxury of picking and choosing with whom they do business and they will choose the company that offers the best service or the best product at the best price. With internet commerce it is not possible for a business to get to know their competition as they can in a brick and mortar world. They can see the products as well as the prices but the hidden assets of service and delivery can only be seen if business is actually conducted.

It would be good for every online business owner to make a purchase from their own site occasionally to determine their ordering and delivery system is working correctly. If a customer has a problem making a purchase, they will not be back to waste their time. If the information provided on the merchandise is inadequate, they will not be making a purchase. If the shipping cost is excessive or the time they have to wait for delivery, again they will not be making a purchase.

Knowing what it will take to drive customers away is how a company can begin to build customer loyalty. You know what turns them away and fixing those issues on your ecommerce site will keep them coming back. Additionally, the best and cheapest methods of advertising on the internet is word of mouth. Making a customer happy that they did business with you can provide their recommendation to friends and relatives, giving you more business that costs nothing to obtain.

By focusing on the customers experience with your online business, their satisfaction can lead to their loyalty which is one of the most important aspect of doing business online.

Friday, October 05, 2007

Advertising Your Business Online

Any numbers of websites boldly claim that with the help of online ad options for your business you will be virtually swimming in cold, hard cash overnight. Wish that it were so. The truth of the matter is the fact that making internet advertising work for you takes time, patience and the placement of ads in the strategic places at the right time. Blindly posting links, ad banners and advertisements in the hope that someone will see them and be interested in your business is like going crossbow hunting in the middle of the night and shooting out an arrow in the hopes of bagging a deer. The odds are against you from the beginning and do not improve significantly the more often you try.

By and large, there are some tried and true online ad options for your business that have been known to show success. First and foremost of course are the online auction sites. You may not have thought of advertising your business in such a manner but when you remember just how many different people converge each and every day on these sites, you will be able to reach quite possibly the broadest cross section of society. All age groups, both genders, nationalities from across the globe, all socio economic classes and perhaps most importantly folks with a host of different interests.

The latter is the most valuable piece of information, since an ad placed in a Corvette racing magazine will most likely not reach the bicycle aficionado. Conversely, an ad placed in the home and garden section of a local newspaper will never meet the eyes of a die hard gambler. On the biggest auction sites you have a chance to meet them all. Search engines are another great way of displaying your online ad. As online ad options for your business are concerned, this mode of advertisement may be a bit expensive but there is something to be said for popping up when a potential customer enters terms that match your business. Granted, it is still a hit or miss proposition but one that will pay off nicely if you give it some time.

One of the most overlooked online ad options for your business is the online edition of your local and national papers and magazines. With more and more news junkies logging on to the net for their daily information and news, the print papers are loosing readers. Thus, print ads are slowly going by the wayside, giving up room for the online ads. Costs vary from publication to publication but generally speaking they are well worth every penny.

A somewhat overused way of placing online ads for a business is the use of affiliate marketing. In some cases this is the best way to go, but usually folks will not click on a banner and net you a sale. Instead, they may actually become annoyed by the presence of your ads, especially when some rather inventive affiliate marketers install them into popup windows. If you do want to check out online ad options for your business with affiliate marketers, keep close control over who will be approved for the ads and who will not be approved as an affiliate. Insure that rules and procedures are in place so that your ads will be displayed as they are intended and not made part of pop ups or spam.

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Building A Small Home Business

Sometimes building a business in a small town is more difficult because of the limited customer base, competition and the lack of interest in your goods and services. Before starting a business in a small town, make sure you are filling a need. If the town already has more than one barber, chances are your shop will not turn a profit. If the product you are selling is unfamiliar or costs too much money, your business may not succeed. Finding a product may be your biggest challenge but once you find one, marketing it will be the next step.

After deciding on a business, you will need to find retail space. This can be on the main street, your home or it can be on a street that is off the main road. The further you are from the center of town, the more advertising you need so people will know where you are located. Building a website is one way to solve this problem. Even though your business caters primarily to those in the town, others may want to visit your shop to see what you have. Including directions on your website will help people find your location. Billboards, signs and listings in the local newspaper are also ways to help customers find you.

Advertising within the town usually includes handing out business cards, creating a logo and a sign that is placed in front of your business and advertising in the newspaper. In small towns, word of mouth advertising is still the most powerful tool you have. If you offer quality customer service, people will tell others in the community. Using the internet is another tool you have especially if you can ship items to various locations. Market in every way you have available in order to create brand loyalty.

Once you have established your business, you will need to care for it as it grows. This means taking inventory to see what you need to reorder, making sure customers are happy with the layout of the store, the products and the customer service. You may need to hire employees to help you take care of the business. In small towns, you may be limited in how much you can earn. This may be due to the income level of residents the need for your products and the cost of shopping in your store.

You may need to adjust your prices in order to sell more merchandise. Market analysis can help you make the necessary adjustments. Running a business in a small town may be more difficult than going to a more populated area. But if you can sell items online in addition to opening a storefront, your potential for profit is increased.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Taking A Vacation Away From Work

If you own your business or if you are self employed you probably feel you should not take a vacation. You likely think only bad things will happen if you take time away from your business. However there are many benefits that can make you comfortable while taking some time away from your business.

Growing and maintaining a business takes a lot of hard work. After awhile this hard work can take its toll on you physically. Taking a break from work can give your body time to recuperate and keep you healthy.

In addition to the physical toll, the busy and hectic activities of running a business each day can also take an emotional toll. Your peace of mind will suffer if you do not get away every once in awhile and as a result, your well being will most certainly suffer. So it is important to take a break and relax your mind.

When you bury yourself in work you probably do not have a lot of time to spend with family and friends. When you take a break from work you will be able to catch up with those around you. There is nothing better for relaxation than spending quality time with family and friends.

If you do not have a budget you can still take a vacation from your business without traveling. You can take a vacation at your own home, provided you do not work out of your home. IF you do you can still take a vacation at home as long as you can stay out of your office. You can do many things within your budget to take a break from work such as doing a hobby or taking a day trip to the beach.

Many small business owners feel they do not deserve any time off. Often you feel you d not have enough time in the day to finish everything you need to get done. You will always feel this way and taking a little time off is better than working all the time. You will feel better and be healthier as well.

Once you are ready to take a vacation from your business you should carefully plan it ahead of time to get the most from your vacation time. Place your vacation on the calendar and prepare for it carefully. You can project potential snags by doing this kind of advanced planning. In addition you will not lose any time when it comes to starting your time off. This extra time also allows you to prepare your business to operate while you are away.

If you panic at the idea of leaving your business for too long then start out small so you can experience the benefits. At first you can just start with coffee breaks then expand to weekends and longer. Or you can choose to take a few days off at the end of a business trip.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Advantages Of Internet Marketing

With the use of the internet continuing to grow and security for online shopping improves exponentially, more people are willing to spend money for online shopping. However, even those who do not shop online are using the internet as a resource for finding what they want. They can spend time in the comfort of their own home learning all the details about a specific item and then go into a store that sells that item armed with the information to make a purchase.

Many online companies are failing to use all the available internet marketing resources to their benefit and even companies that do not sell online should be paying attention to online marketing to offer information to customers that may not visit their traditional brick and mortar outlet. For example, a person wanting to buy a new car can research the different brands and models to determine which one is right for them.

In a few hours sitting behind their desk they can learn more about the different models than they can learn in days traveling from lot to lot dealing with a pushy sales staff and once they make their decision they can go the dealer and make their best deal on the make and model they want. This scenario can work itself out in virtually every item and service for sale on the internet and by providing your walk in customers with all the information they need, you can be reasonably sure they will know what they are getting when they pay you a visit.

Once they are in the door, excellent customer service and suggestive selling of related items can keep them coming back as a loyal customer. For those doing business online, internet marketing is the key to their success. It is not a baseball field in Iowa and if you build it, they may not come, mainly because they do not know you exist. Internet marketing is essentially getting your name out in the internet publics view to enable them to make a choice about where to spend their money. Unlike Hollywood however, it is not enough to say it does not matter what they say about you as long as the name is spelled right.

Your reputation is at stake every time someone visits your site. Its look, appeal and ease of use will either invite positive comments or condemn you to the list of might have beens or never were. By building a user friendly website, offering quality products at a reasonable price will keep their interest. However, without a good online marketing plan, there is a good chance they will not stumble on your site by accident. A good plan will get your name out in the publics eye. What happens after that is up to you.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Advertising And Marketing Your Business

Whether you choose to take care of your own advertising and marketing or hire someone to do it depends on several factors including your budget, time and experience. If you are a new business owner or manager, it is probably a good idea to obtain assistance from someone who is experienced in the marketing field and knows exactly where to direct the advertising for your company. Of course, if you have a larger company, you may have a marketing department that does nothing else but take care of marketing and advertising needs.

If you choose to hire people to take care of the marketing for your business, you need to be sure to hire people that are not only experienced in marketing but in marketing the types of products and services that your company sells. If you choose to hire someone who has never done marketing for the products your company sells, it should at least be someone who is familiar with your product line. In other words, do not hire someone whose previous experience was in mens clothing and you sell auto parts and the applicant does not know a transmission from a carburetor.

If you are busy setting up your business or even simply busy running it, hiring someone to take care of the marketing end is advantageous. After all, if you do not have time to devote to marketing your business, then you can not ensure that you are going to be able to reach the target audience in order for your efforts to do the most good. Marketing in itself can be a full time job and you must be able to take the time to conduct searches in order to know where to target your efforts. Unless you are only working with customers, you need to change your tactics so that you are not always directing your marketing campaign toward the same group of people.

If you do indeed choose to do the marketing yourself, make sure that you gain enough knowledge to do it effectively and know exactly the target audience for your product or service. You can not expect to accomplish that if you do not have enough time to devote to it, so make sure that you are free enough of your schedule to devote some time to your marketing plan and then following through with it. Its important to develop an ongoing marketing plan not just a one time advertising plan. Advertising and marketing are ongoing and they will not be effective unless you continue to develop new strategy and formulate a plan for different sectors of your target audience. A marketing plan that does not do that is ineffective and will soon be void of any new leads. You want to avoid that at all costs.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Hiring Qualified Employees

While you may have many positions available that need to be filled, hiring unqualified candidates can have serious effects in the workplace that can end up costing the company a lot of money. Because new employees need to be trained, need office equipment, salary and benefits, a lot is invested on the success of the employee. When they perform poorly, retraining or letting them go are usually the only options that companies have. Either way, the cost is much more than hiring a top performing employee.

Even though the job market is slow right now, it pays to hire only the best in the business so your company can thrive. Bad employees not only perform poorly, they may also cause other employees to leave the company. Employees who can not perform their job tasks make it difficult for other employees to complete their tasks. As a result, top performers may leave the company in search of better working conditions. This can also cost the company a lot of money.

If you hire an employee for a customer service position, they need to be able to communicate effectively with customers, vendors, clients and others who are important for your business. If the employee can not communicate effectively with others, they fail to create working relationships or bring in new business, your business may not be as profitable as it could be. Make sure that employees who will be working with the public are able to meet deadlines, work well with others and have an understanding that they need to present themselves in a professional manner at all times.

Preventing the hiring of bad employees can be difficult if you are not looking for warning signs. This can include failure to answer all questions during an interview or on an application, showing up late for the appointment, or not meeting all the requirements needed to perform the job. While you can still hire those who lack formal training but who are able to learn quickly or have other skills that will be useful, it is important to set a minimum number of goals so you can find candidates that have the ability to learn how to complete job tasks.

While you will still occasionally hire bad employees, if you create criteria when hiring, you will be able to reduce this number. Bad employees can have a negative effect on a companys reputation as well, which could deter top performers from applying for positions offered. By reducing the number of bad employees, you will improve the overall feeling at the workplace which will increase productivity. Keep in mind that while an employee may have many skills, they may not have the ones needed to perform their current job. Moving them to another department may help them become more successful.